A teenager from Australia has faced legal proceedings after allegedly defacing a sizable art piece of a legendary being by applying plastic eyes to it.
Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, participated via phone at the local court in the state of South Australia on Tuesday, facing with a single charge of damaging property.
Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities explained that CCTV footage captured a person putting fake eyes on the sculpture, which residents have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.
The accused did not enter a plea and told the court she was ill, according to news outlets, with the magistrate recommending her to secure a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in the final month of the year.
A day after the alleged incident, the city leader said that repairs to the much-loved public artwork would be costly as the adhesive eyes could not be detached without damaging the art piece.
“This wilful damage to a cherished community art is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in September. “It is not harmless fun, it is pricey - it is also frustrating to those members of our community who have embraced the Blue Blob.”
She said the local government would seek the “significant” repair costs from those responsible for the damage.
When the artwork was first proposed, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its cost and appearance.
Costing 136,000 Australian dollars ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture represents a legendary giant animal, with the sculpture’s designers inspired by an ancient marsupial ant-eater found in nearby caverns that was “huge, slow-moving, and intriguing”.
